One-piece resilient socket for fluorescent lamps



G. SHAW ONE-PIECE RESILIENT SOCKET FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Aug. 28,1947 INVENTR. 6475 erf Shaw Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ONE-PIECE RESILINT SOCKET FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful im,- provements in socketsadapted to receive one or more terminal `members of an electr-ical de.vice, such as a. fluorescent. tube or the like for example, and moreparticularly to alsocket which is self-supporting on an electricalfixture and inherently y-ieldable relative thereto..

The invention has particular reference to a molded, one-piece, hollowsocket formed of a yieldable .plastic material in which a pair ofmetallic contact members are disposed and yieldably retained ininsulated relation.

The invention has further reference to a Self supporting socket which isadapted `to coact with the marginal edges defining a substantiallslrectanguluar orifice provided therefor in a fluorescent lamp supportingfixture.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a unitary, non-rigidfluorescent tube socket as specified which doesl not require screw boltsor the like for attaching the same to a reflector panel of a fluorescentlamp fixture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a socket of the characterset forth which obviates the necessity of imparting rotational movementto a fluorescent lamp tube in order to bring the terminal pins thereofinto secure engagement with the respective contact members disposedwithin each of a pair of such sockets.

A further object of fthe invention is to provide a socket of thecharacter specified wherein a pair of metallic contact members areadapted to yield with the socket casing upon deflection thereof at anangle. to the vertical from its point of support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a socket as specifiedwhereby a pair of such ly eiiicient for the purpose for which it hasbeen designed.

The novel features of the invention are set,

forth with particularity in the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method ofapplication, together with additional objects and advantages thereof,`

will best. be understood from the following description of one specificembodiment thereof when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which f Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the yieldablesocket casing per se;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one of two similar .contact membersemployed in each socket.

Fig. 3 is a plan view looking into the upper open end of the yieldablesocket casing as seen in Fig'. 1;

Fig. d is a vertical sectional view of a complete socket constructed inaccordance with the invention and illustrating the manner in which apair of metallic contact members are disposed and yieldably retained inthe socket casing in assembled insulated relation;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4illustrating in fragmentary broken lines the manner in which the socketis 1 self-supported on the reflector panel of a sockets are adapted, byreason of their inherent With the .above and other objects in View. .theinvention resides in a non-rigid; Quei-.pieza self" supporting tubesocket which is extrmely simple in construction. cheap t0 narcissism andbien fluorescent lamp fixture and with a terminal pin of a fluorescenttube inserted in the socket and in cooperative engagement with one ofthe contact members within the socket. The ligure illustrates furtherthe manner in which the socket is disconnected from the terminal pin.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view partly in section illustrating the mannerin which a fiuorescent lamp tube is inserted in and between a pair ofsockets, constructed in accordance with the invention, and forming apart of .a portable lamp.

throughout, the improved tube socket, generally indicated at l0,comprises a hollow one-piece casing. lt molded of a plasticizedcoepclymer og avim/l chloride-acetate resin. It is to be ex.-

:pressly understood. however. that other copolymers of a vinyl chlorideor, a natural or synthetic rubber compound may be employed.

In accordance with the invention, the casing I I is molded, preferablyalthough not necessarily, to the configuration illustrated in Fig. land, as shown, comprises a body portion I2, rectangular incross-section, which is substantially tapered and rounded-off at one endthereof as indicated at I3 in Fig. l. The opposite end of the bodyportion I2 is constituted by a relativelylarge, hollow, rectangular baseportion I4 forming a supporting shoulder I5 about the body portion I2.An additional shoulder, constituted by a relatively narrow lip I6, isfurther provided about the body portion I2 in spaced, facing relation tothe supporting shoulder I5, to form a U-shape channel I'I whereby thecasing II is adapted to be self-supporting upon insertion thereof in asuitable rectangular aperture, formed in a reflector panel P, with themarginal edges defining the aperture, disposed in the channel I'I asbest shown in Fig. 5..

Further in accordance with the invention, the casing II is so molded asto form a deep cavity C in the body portion I2; a relatively large,shallow recess R inthe base portion I4 and forming a continuation of thecavity C; and a central partition I8 extending the full depth of thecavity C and recess R whereby they are equally divided to form a pair ofseparate compartments I9 of rectangular cross-section, and a pair ofseparate rectangular recesses 20 in the base portion I4.

Thus, each compartment I9 opens only into one of the recesses 20. In thesame molding operation, one of the side walls of the base portion I4,deflning each of the recesses 20, is provided With an open-ended slot2|, as best shown in Fig. 1,

to provide a lead-in passage into each of the revide a retaining groovepartly along three inner sidesof each recess 20.

' Ir'addition to the above, one wall of the body portion I 2 is alsoprovided, at the same time, with a pair of transversely aligned, spacedapertures 23 with each aperture opening into one of the compartments I9at a point adjacent the bottom thereof.

Further in accordance with the invention, each of a pair of contactmembers 24 formed as in Fig. 2 and adapted to be disposed within thecasing I I, comprise a rectangular plate 25 having a central tab 26.struck-out of the plant thereof, for the attachment thereto of asuitable electrical conductor 21 in conventional manner.

A relatively narrow contact arm 28, integral with the plate 25, isbentat right angles thereto with the free end portion thereof providedwith additional bends as at 29, 30 and 3| whereby the depending contactarm 28 is adapted to conform to the contour of either of thecompartments I9 in the casing II.

In the assembly of a pair of contact members 24 with the casing I, thedepending arm.28 of each member 24 is inserted in one ofthe recesses 20.and its correlated compartment ,I9 in opposite. facing relation, as bestshown in Fig. 4, and thev plate 25 thereof pressed vto, the bottom .ofthe.re.. cess 20 ,while flexing the partially ribbed.. walls. thereof tobring three,marginaledgesjthereof.un: i der the ribs 22. When sopositioned, each'con" tact member 24 is yieldably retained within. me.

casing with that portion of each depending arm 28 between the bends 30and 3|, in proper position for wiping engagement with a terminal pin 32of a fluorescent tube as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 illustrates the socket I0 in self -supporting operative relationWith the reflector panel P of a fluorescent lamp fixture not shown, Withone terminal pin 32 of a fluorescent lamp tube 33 extending into one ofthe apertures 23, provided therefor in the depending end portionthereof, and in current transfer engagement with the contact member 24.Fig. 5 also illustrates in broken lines the manner in which thedepending portion of the socket I Il is manually flexed in the directionof the arrow, to disconnect the socket from one end of the tube 33. Itis to be observed that in this flexing of the depending body portion,the contact members 24 move therewith by reason of the angularclearance, between the underside of a portion of the base I4 and thepanel P, afforded bythe tapered or inclined underside portion 34 of thebase I4 whereby the base plate 25 of each contact member 24 is adapted,in a sense, to substantially pivot or heel on its supporting surface,relative to the panel P, when the socket I0 is flexed out of its normaldepending position.

In the above described pivotal movement of each base plate 25, the endportion thereof not engaged by the ribs 22, is raised from itssupporting surface. Thus, it is not desirable that the ribs 22 in eachrecess 2U extend entirely thereacross.

With further reference to Fig. 5, a substantialy portion of one wallsurface of each recess 2|), as indicated at 35, is inclined outwardlyfrom the bottom thereof to provide clearance for the end margin 36 ofeach base plate 25 during movement of one end portion thereof toward andaway from its supporting surface.

The manner in which one or more terminal pins 32 at each end of thefluorescent tube 33, for example, are inserted in or withdrawn from apair of sockets I0, shown as applied to the reflector panel P of `@smallportable fixture 31 in accordance with the invention, is illustrated inFig. 6. As shown, one end of the fluorescent tube 33 has been broughtinto cooperative engagement with one socket I0 with the opposite end ofthe tube 33 about to be brought into cooperative engagement with theopposite socket IB. With one end of the tube in this position, theadjacent socket is grasped manually and flexed in the direction of thearrow while raising the free end of the tube 33 to the position. Where,the terminal pin ory pins 32 are in alignment to be receivedy in theapertures 23 in the socket I El and the socket IIJ restored to itsnormal depending position whereby the terminal pin or pins 32 engage oneor both ,of the contactmembers 24 in the In .the removal of the tube33from each socket in Figs. 7 and 8the free end portion of the dependingarm 39 is bentupon itself. and the up- 'standing end portion providedwith a concaveconvexsetystruck-out ofthe planethereof, toprQvideaQVsemi-circular groovev 4I]Y which together witli thefloppositveAflat -portion of the .arm 3 9, proj# vlesgfor a 'yeldable clamping.engagement with; the terminal pin'or pins 32-.at eachend 'ofthe'anregen@ tube as.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with respect toone embodiment thereof which gives satisfactory results, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art, after Linden standing theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, the invention isnot to be limited except as is necessitated by the prior art and thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: Y

1. A lamp holder and socket of the character described adapted toreceive at least one terminal pin extending from one end of afluorescent tube ,making electrical contact therewith and supporting theend of said tube upon an apertured plate, comprising, in combination, anelongated hollow body portion adapted to be received through an aperturein said plate, an enlarged base portion integrally connected to one endof said body portion having a recess communicating with the hollowinterior of said body portion, said body and base portions being madefrom a pliant plastic material, an enlarged shouldered portion aboutsaid body portion adjacent said base portion channeled to receive theedges of said plate dening said aperture whereby said holder is held insaid aperture, a contact member ,having a longitudinally extendingportion positioned in the hollow interior of said body portion and Yenlarged plate portions seated in the recess of said base portion, saidbody portion having an aperture adjacent one end thereof to receive theterminal pin of the iluorescent tube, said contact member longitudinallyextending portion having an end positioned adjacent said last mentionedaperture, and shoulder means integral with said base portion extendinginto said recess about a portion only of the perimeter of said recessleaving a substantial part of said perimeter unobstructed by said means,said shoulder means being adapted to engage over and hold said enlargedplate portion of said contact member seated in said recess.

2. A lamp holder and socket of the character described adapted toreceive the terminal pins extending from one end of a fluorescent tubemaking electrical contacttherewith and supporting the end of said tubeupon an apertured plate, comprising, in combination, an elongated hollowbody portion adapted to be received through an aperture in said plate,an enlarged base portion integrally connected to one end of said bodyportion having a recess communicating With the hollow interior of saidbody portion, said body and base portions being made from a pliantplastic material, an enlarged shouldered portion about said body portionadjacent said base portion, said shouldered portion being adapted to beforced through an aperture in said plate and to receive between itselfand said base portion the edges of said plate defining said aperture, apair of Contact members having longitudinally extending portionspositioned in the hollow interior of said body portion and enlargedplate portions seated in the recess of said `base portion, said bodyportion having apertures adjacent one end thereof to receive theterminal pins of the fluorescent tube, said contact memberlongitudinally extending portions having ends positioned adjacent saidlast mentioned apertures, and shoulder means integral with said baseportion extending into said recess about a portion only of the perimeterof said recess leaving a substantial part of said perimeter unobstructedby said deans, said shoulder means being adapted to engage one and holdsaid enlarged plate portions of said contact member seated in saidrecess.

3. A lamp holder and socket as set forth in claim 2 in which said baseportion is provided with an inclined wall forming the lower wall of itssaid recess and intersecting said body portion, whereby said lamp holdermay be flexed in the aperture of said apertured plate.

4. A lamp holder and socket `as set forth in claim 2 in which anintegral dividing wall is provided in the hollow interior of said bodypor tion and in the recess of said base portion dividing said recessinto a pair of rectangular openings, and said shoulder means extend intoeach of said openings from three of the defining walls thereof, thefourth defining wall of each said opening being unobstructed by saidshoulder means.

GILBERT SHAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 882,260 Mezger Mar. 17, 19081,952,188 Watts Mar. 27, 1934 1,970,767 Rabezzana Aug. 21, 19342,024,547 Strongson Dec. 17, 1935 2,099,405 Langdon Nov. 16, 19372,283,454 Osterloo May 19, 1942 2,296,114 Mueller et .al Sept. 15, 19422,329,464 Gaynor Sept. 14, 1943 2,428,214 Gorey Sept. 30, 1947 2,449,736Bogen Sept. 21, 1948 2,468,481 Burt Apr. 26, 1949

